Speedtraps in British Columbia on the Trans-Canada Highway Route

Overview

Radar detectors and laser detectors are LEGAL to use in British Columbia, but not in Manitoba, New Brunswick; Newfoundland, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Quebec.

Please CONTACT US if the information on this page is no longer accurate, and you want to suggest adding or removing noted speed traps in your area or where you have recently traveled.

Trans-Canada Hwy 1 (Mainland)

Trans-Canada Hwy 1, Between Golden and Field
Probable laser set with three patrol cars. Line of four cars passed cop at same speed. Cop pulled out a particular car that had been weaving in and out, passing recklessly etc but "out of sight of the cruisers" No Cell coverage in this area so called in complaint unlikely the reason. No detectors were set off. This stretch of road requires extreme attention, with bad curves, frequent rock fragments etc. Speed limit 80kph, most vehicles can't make the corners it has at 70kph. Cars parked near short four lane zone located on south bank of Kicking Horse River. police observation point unknown.

Trans-Canada Hwy 1, Revelstoke B.C.- Western Rockies:
Our town has a population of only 9,000, but we have a local R.C.M.P. detachment of about 30 members- of which 15 are strictly "road enforcement/hi-way patrol" There is only ONE main E/W route- T.C.H.#1- which is HEAVILY RADARED. Travelling West to Kamloops & Vancouver- drivers should take care in the last 15-20 miles EAST of the town. The LONG straightaways look inviting- but BEWARE!! Officers use ALL TYPES incl. LASER on this stretch. Also beware on the WEST side, leaving town, up to around 10-15 miles out. Same Rules!!

Trans-Canada Hwy 1 east, Chilliwack - Hope
Through Chilliwack to Hope, very common laser and radar traps under overpasses. Guaranteed to have at least one radar trap through this area each weekend.

Trans-Canada Hwy 1, Langley
Westbound through Langley municipality. About 2 miles past 264th Street there is a downgrade. Radar and tripod-mounted laser traps are used here regularly, especially on long weekends or during the tourist months.

Kamloops
Radar used in the city, mainly at these locations: Halston Td just past the Westsyde exit on right hand side Chevy Vans blue, grey, green. Parkcrest and Singh in B.C. HYDRO yard. Tranquille Rd between 9th and 10th on right Westsyde Rd just past Coopers in shopping centre Halston bypass just past the diner in 70 km/h zone of 4 lane divided hwy.

Highway 5 west, between Kamloops and Merritt, BC:
The long downgrade (6-9%) entering Merritt often has a cruiser (marked or unmarked) or the Camaro RS interceptor checking vehicles with radar. The car will stopped just after the first over pass encountered since Logan Lake. A favorite spot because of the pull out about half a km (1/3rd of a mile for our US friends) after the pass.

Coquihalla Highway #8, Merritt-Hope
16 kms south of Merritt on Hwy 5, laser site for traffic heading northbound towards Merritt. Daily. 110 km/h zone. 47 kms south of Merritt on Hwy 5 just over the Juliet Creek Bridge. Laser site in the centre median. 2nd laser site often set up 3 kms north of 1st site. Lots of moving radar between Juliet Creek and Larson Hill 9 kms to the north. 110 km/h zone. 55 kms south of Merritt on Hwy 5, just a few kilometres north of the Toll Plaza. Favorite laser site for Hope Highway Patrol. 20 kms southeast of Merritt on Hwy 97C, laser and radar site for traffic heading north and south. Lots of moving radar in the 2 lane stretch of Hwy 97C from Merritt to Aspen Grove. Daily. 90 km/h zone. Watch out for passers in the blind curves. 35 - 40 kms east of Merritt on Hwy 97C. Pothole Creek Bridge and Loon Lake Hill coming down from the brake check. Laser site particularly on weekends. Shared by Merritt and Kelowna Highway Patrols. Lots of moving radar between Loon Lake Hill and Aspen Grove 15 kms west. Daily. 110 km/h zone.

Metro Vancouver

Langley,200th Street
Southbound, South of Highway 1. Radar traps on unmarked cars are commonly used halfway down the large hill. The police cars park in the center lane.

Vancouver, Annacis Island Bridge:
Radar is regularly positioned under the overpass at the south end of the bridge in the shadows, making them difficult to see. Quite often they will be positioned behind a vehicle with it's hood up.

Delta, Highway 99
There's a blue Chevrolet Astro van on River Road in Delta, British Columbia between Highway 99 and Elevator Road. Its the only part of River Road which is two lanes traffic. That road's fast lane usually blocked by trucks (its a truck route, remember) and den right turn exit before the road gets back to one lane traffic, by the time you accelerate to go through that traffic signal, your car already been took on the radar. Be aware of those huge trees around the corners the industrial parks, its the place where the radar vans are located
Both directions between the George Massey Tunnel and Highway 10. Radar vehicles patrol daily both ways along this stretch. Delta police recently purchased two marked white Chevrolet Camaros with extremely low profiles. They are very difficult to see. Delta also uses a large variety of unmarked Chevrolet Caprice radar-equipped cars.

Delta, Highway 17
Southbound heading to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. You'll often find tripod-mounted laser traps just on the other side of the Deltaport overpass. Spring and summer are busiest.

Richmond, Steveston Hwy:
Eastbound on the Steveston Hwy, just West of #3 Road. A regular weekly event. Also in Richmond B.C., On Williams Road, West bound at #3 Road.

Richmond, SE Marine Dr
Northbound on the approach to the Knight St. Bridge, and in Vancouver both ways on S.E. Marine drive from Knight St. to New Westminster

North Vancouver, Keith Rd
Keith Rd. at Mountain Highway, Dark blue Astro van parked on side of Keith Rd. just past the bus stop, at Mountain Highway. I asked the officer one day how efficient the trap was. Reply; About 250-300 tickets a "working day".

Vancouver - Granville Street & Airport
I am a Bus driver driving from Vancouver Airport to downtown Vancouver, which is approx 11 miles through a residential district. The street that is used most commonly is Granville Street. Radar is positioned Northbound around 56 street, and around 28 street, Southbound; 26 street, 43 street. They can catch 4,000 speeders a day here. Also around 31-30 Street Northbound; at 54 street Southbound at the church lot.
**Note: this one is operated by the Vancouver City Police Motorcycle division. I just remembered another one that many people get caught at; it is Airport road off of Arthur Laing bridge at the underpass south bound and three other locations too and from the Airport. In summary, the people driving these vehicles drive very fast on Granville street. The radar is set at a tolerance of 10k over the posted speed, take it from their, these people need to slow down, has been too many bad accidents.

Vancouver Island

New radar equipment all along the Island Highway!
Fortunately, the RCMP have been nice enough to actually post warning signs beforehand.

Highway 1, Victoria
10 miles north of Victoria, between Elk Lake and Sayward Road.

Highway 17, Goldstream Park
8 miles north of Victoria, at the end of the passing lane before Goldstream Park.

Highway 1, Mill Bay
3 miles south of Mill Bay, at the Bamberton off-ramp.

Malahat Highway, Mill Bay
As you're exiting it to come in to Mill Bay after the first stop light were the slow down to 80 km then to 60 km (most people are traveling about 120 km) the cops are between the two posted speed limits there most likely too be there 4 to 6 pm on week days to catch the rush hour

Saanich, West Saanich Rd
Radar located on West Saanich Road, 7400 block (On Airport approach). School zone (30 km/h). School zone poorly marked with no warning to reduce speed except for the sign itself setting 30 kp/h as the limit.

Highway 1, Duncan
3 miles south of Duncan, in front of or across from Whippletree Junction.

Highway 1, Ladysmith
2 miles south of Ladysmith, on on-ramp at Thicke road.

Highway 1, Nanaimo
5 miles south of Nanaimo, at South Wellington road.

Highway 1, Nanaimo
4 miles south of Nanaimo, on the hill out of Nanaimo.

Highway 1, Nanaimo
1 mile south of Nanaimo, across from Harbourview Days Inn motel.

Highway 19, Parksville - Nanaimo
Route 19a in Parksville Radar all along the Parksville strip between Mohawk gas station and the Pym road trafic light.
Route 19 near the Parksville exit. Laser radar under the church road overpass. Also for route 19 the RCMPCamaro to patrol the highway between Parksville and Mud Bay.
Route 19 in Nanoose Bay where the 90 km/h drops to 60 km/h radar is always set up by the Arlington Inn in both direction north and south.
Route 19 in Courtney by the Super store on the bend by the farmers market radar set up in both north and south directions.
Route 19 in Cumberland by the traffic light to Cumberland light radar set up in the south direction.
Route 19a near downtown Nanaimo by the 7-11 and KFC Radar.
Route 19 between the Jingle Pot south light and the Northfield light under the Welling road overpass laser radar is set up.

Highway 19, Nanaimo
4 miles north of Nanaimo, across from Walmart.

Highway 19, Nanaimo
The new Nanaimo bypass which skirts the west side of Nanaimo is posted 80 km/h currently. This area is heavily patrolled by the local Detachment of the RCMP with radar. Lots of u-turn lanes for police to make turns to pursue you. Watch for idiot drivers who don't know the area, but go too darned fast in any case.

Highway 19 Nanaimo-Fanny Bay
Radar north of Nanaimo with the odd laser trap in the southbound lane at the bottom of the hill at the Nanoose Bay rest area. Standing in line with the power pole targeting the southbound traffic. Radar in the 60 km/Hzone at Nanoose. When travelling Hwy 19 on the new 4 lane section from Parksville to Fanny Bay watch for laser traps under the overpass at the bottom of a hill just north of Parksville. The hill gets your speed up and the over pass gives the officer a nice shady place to set up in the summer or out of the rain in the wet season. Any over pass on this road should be treated with caution. Watch for drivers flashing you in advance of speed traps. Parksville has radar and also use aircraft. They also have a white Z28 Camaro and the usual Crown Vics or caprices all in white with clear covers on the light bar.

Highway 19, Qualicum
3 miles north of Qualicum, at the end of the passing lanes: K-band radar.

Other BC

Highway 99, Horseshoe Bay - Whistler r
there is an x-band false that the West Vancouver police like to hide behind just before horseshoe bay heading north. This x-band false comes from a nearby radio tower, so the police like to use this signal as cover.
The whole highway from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler in BC has been re-done and now is two lanes each way. The West Van Police Department now has lidar and laser guns (they patrol from about Horseshoe Bay to Lions Bay). There are TONS of strategicaly placed pullouts that the cops sit at. If you do not have a radar detector, you are screwed because by the time you see them, they have nailed you with their radar gun and your stuck with a ticket. We do not recommend speeding if you are traveling this corridor.
Alaska Highway, Fort St John
RCMP marked (some with light bars, some without) and unmarked Chevrolets patrol the stretch from Fort St. John to Wonowon (about 80+ km) very frequently. North from Wonowon to Pink Mountain / Mae's Kitchen (another 70 km) is not as frequently patrolled, but still checked regularly. North to Fort Nelson, another 220 KM, has lots of beautiful, well-engineered straight stretches to tempt the unwary, and many many caribou to leap into your path -- but less radar yet. Driving here in late Spring and Summer is a blast, but late Fall and Winter driving up here requires good planning, excellent winter tires, and great care!!!!

Highway 93, 95, Radium Hot Springs
Yoho National Park Wardens in Park Pickups give speeding tickets. They don't have Radar/laser but if you pass them over the limit, they will pull you over. They Give you a standard issue $100 ticket regardless of speed. Unbelieveable group of cop wanna-be's.

Highway 93, south of Cranbrook
There was a late-model bright blue small pickup, Nissan I believe, going the other direction (South) shooting X-band radar out his front window. Must have been RCMP ghost, as there are no local police agencies in this area. Highway 97 North / East-bound west of Kelowna: Highways 97 and 97C merge a few kilometres west of Westbank/Kelowna in a 70 km/h zone. The beginning of the Westbank section of Highway 97 is marked by a stoplight, then a transition to a 50 km/h speed limit through Westbank and Kelowna. Travelers approaching from the west need to watch out for two possible traps: first, the 70 km/h section between the Highway 97/97C interchange and Westbank is patrolled by circling unmarked cruisers waiting to pounce on vehicles that are still travelling at the up-to-110 km/h legal speeds of 97C or the 80/90 km/h speeds of 97. Secondly, the 50 km/h zone begins approx. 150 metres beyond the stoplight on an uphill section. At the crest of the hill, expect to find a stationary radar trap located in the trees to the right of the highway.

Highway 3A, from Nelson - Castlegar
Very high risk area. Front St. in Nelson, near the bridge. There is no parking along this street, but a marked RCMP car and a plain white dodge ram van is parked along the road.

Kelowna
Coming into Kelowna on Highway 97 from the North the limit changes from 80 km/h to 60 km/h four kilometers after Sexsmith Road. There will often be a blue Chevy Astro van with the radar. If it isn't there it is more often than not farther up the highway where Hwy 97 intersects with Hwy 33. Be aware that at the Hwy97/33 intersection there is one of those new Red Light Cameras. Don't run a yellow light at this intersection.

Highway 3, Hope - Manning Park
A very active area for R.C.M.P. The use of unmarked cars, after a marked cruiser parked at the side of the road. Beware, speed limit between Hope and Manning Park is only 80 km

British Columbia Provincial Map

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